Lighting requirements for handball, volleyball and basketball indoors

The guideline on venues and hall standards (Richtlinie Spielstätten/Hallenstandards) of the Deutscher Handballbund requires at least 300 lux, measured 1.5 m above the playing surface. It applies to the 3. Liga, the Jugendbundesliga and the B-Jugend championships.

The home club is responsible for hall acceptance. It is repeated every five years and after structural changes, and is carried out on the basis of documentation during a regular championship match. Windows must be able to be darkened where needed so that sunlight does not dazzle.

The Handballverband Württemberg adopts the same value for its association divisions: at least 300 lux at 1.5 m height. The Bayerischer Handball-Verband refers to the venue and hall standards guidelines for Regional- and Oberligen without giving a figure in its implementing regulations.

The regulations from Hamburg and Westphalia contain no lux value. Ask your regional association before you design the system.

The DVV implementing regulations for the Dritte Ligen require at least 500 lux, measured 1 m above the hall floor over the entire playing surface. The league manager must approve playing halls, including alternative halls.

The light intensity must already match the later match lighting during warm-up.

The DVV regional rules of play and the regulations of the Regionalliga Nordwest for 2026/2027 contain no lux value. The value of the Dritte Ligen does not apply there automatically. For regional competitions, the standard gives 500 lx at a uniformity of 0.7 in Class II.

The rules of play and events of the 2. Basketball-Bundesliga require at least 750 lux in ProB halls. This is proven horizontally at at least 8 defined points at 1 m height, with a measurement report confirmed by the hall operator.

Full lighting must be in place at least 30 minutes before the start of the match. Training too must have the same illuminance as the match. The light must be uniform and must not impair the vision of players and referees.

For new construction and renovation of a playing hall, the Bayerischer Basketball Verband gives as a minimum requirement more than 1,000 lux on average and a colour temperature of 4000 to 6000 K. The paper applies to Bezirk, Bayernliga, Landesliga, Regionalligen and ProB. That puts it above the value in the ProB regulations.

The rules of play of the Regionalliga Nord and the invitation to tender of the Westdeutscher Basketball-Verband contain no lux value, but halls there must be approved for the league.

Then the standard remains: the technical publication licht.wissen 08 gives 200 lx in Class III, 500 lx in Class II and 750 lx in Class I for handball, basketball and volleyball. Class II is therefore above the 300 lux requirement of the handball guideline.

For training and school sport the light can be dimmed; in the ProB this does not apply because of the training rule.

For multi-purpose halls the 07v5 ECO is usually the right choice; it can be dimmed via 0⁠–⁠10 V. We clarify what the league and your hall require in the planning.